Fishing at Lake Shay, Crow Wing County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Lake Shay is a Crow Wing County water, Minnesota side. This is pine and birch ground. This is a pocket water of some 3 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Most waters listed here for Crow Wing County are larger. The closest town, Brainerd, is 11 miles distant. The big place round here is Minneapolis, 94 miles distant. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Lake Shay

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Public occurrence data for Crow Wing County names largemouth bass, bluegill and yellow perch. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Treat Lake Shay as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 69°F; by January the average is down near 8°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. The season on Lake Shay follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Should this one be busy, Fuchs Lake is 1.4 miles off. The position on Lake Shay is worth confirming on the day.